Nakamura, Angelica N.

Rosa, Alexandre T.F.

Santos, Claudio L.N. Guimaraes dos

English

eScholarship - University of California

UC MercedProceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science SocietyTitleSpecific Long- and Short-Term Memory Deficits Producing Dyscalculia in a Physicist: A Single Case Study Carried Out Using the Sao Paulo MAT TestPermalinkhttps://escholarship.org/uc/item/1p68d8gkJournalProceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society, 18(0)AuthorsSantos, Claudio L.N. Guimaraes dosNakamura, Angelica N.Rosa, Alexandre T.F.Publication Date1996 Peer reviewedeScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital LibraryUniversity of CaliforniaSpecifi c  Long -  an d Short-Ter m M e m o r y Deficit s Producin g Dyscalculi a i n a Physicist :  A  Singl e Cas e Stud y Carrie d O u t  Usin g th e S§ o Paul o M A T Tes t Cl̂ udi o L.N .  Guimarie s do s Santos ,  Angdic a N .  Nakamura ,  an d Alexandr e T.F .  Ros a Laborat6ri o d e NeuropsicolingOistic a Cognitiva , Universidad e Federa l  d e SS o Paulo ,  SS o Paulo ,  Brazi l c l a u d i o g . m o r f e e p m . b r In t roduct io n After gi\ing a concise description of the SP-MAT, a test batter y develope d b y ou r  Laborator y i n orde r  t o stud y acquire d mathematica l  disabilities ,  w e presen t  th e result s obtaine d wit h it s employmen t  i n th e investigatio n o f  A A ,  a 42-year-ol d right-handed  man ,  physicist ,  operate d i n 199 2 i n orde r  t o remov e a  lef t  arteriovenou s malformation . Method The SP-MAT was conceived as a methodological tool su£Qcientl y detaile d t o yiel d a  precis e descriptio n o f  a patient' s actxia l  performanc e durin g th e cognitiv e processin g o f  mathematica l  entitie s bot h i n th e elementar y an d i n th e advance d level . I t  consist s o f  S  part s designe d t o assess :  (I )  deficit s relate d t o th e perceptua l  processin g o f  numerica l  entities , (II )  basi c arithmetica l  calculatio n abilities ,  (Hi )  abilitie s require d t o dea l  wit h elementar y algebr a problems ,  (IV ) abilitie s involve d i n solvin g elementar y geometr y [voblems , (V )  abilitie s require d t o dea l  wit h problem s o f  highe r mathematics . Results AA was examined 43 months after his surgery and only the first  tw o part s o f  th e S P - M A T wer e give n t o him . On th e neurologica l  examination ,  A A presente d a  right homonymous hemianopi a (compensated )  wit h n o moto r deficit s S P E C T showe d a  dramati c reductio n i n r C B F value s o f  th e lef t  temporal ,  occipita l  an d inferio r  parieta l regions .  Standar d neuropsychologica l  assessmen t  showed : (a )  a  sligh t  impairmen t  o f  AA ' s performanc e durin g discours e comprehensio n tasks ,  (b )  a  discret e anomia ,  (c ) an importan t  retrograd e amnesi a mostl y affectin g th e mathematica l  informatio n th e patien t  normall y deal t  wit h befor e surgery ,  (d )  a  below-average  reduce d memor y span , mor e pronounce d fo r  ora l  tha n fo r  writte n stimuli ,  wors e fo r  non-significan t  syllaWe s tha n fo r  word s an d numbers , th e ̂ )a n fo r  letter s bein g almos t  normal ,  an d (e )  a  mil d impairmen t  i n AA ' s arithmetica l  calculatio n abilities . Result s showe d n o deficit s relate d t o th e perceptua l [Kocessin g o f  numerica l  entities . Result s o f  Par t  I I  allowe d a  precis e characterizatio n o f AA ' s calculatio n impairment ,  namely :  (a )  variabilit y  o f  it s degre e o f  expressio n as  a  fimction  o f  th e typ e o f  operatio n involved :  Th e impairmen t  wa s mor e eviden t  durin g th e performanc e o f  multiplication s an d division s tha n durin g th e performanc e o f  addition s an d subtractions ;  (b )  presenc e of  a n importan t  "ro w efiect" :  Th e greate r  th e numbe r  o f row s involve d i n AA ' s processin g o f  a  give n algorithm ,  th e greate r  th e numbe r  o f  error s detected .  Suc h effec t  wa s mos t eviden t  durin g th e performanc e o f  multiplication s an d additions ,  bu t  i t  coul d als o b e observe d i n divisions ;  (c ) presenc e o f  a  mil d "colum n efTect" :  Th e greate r  th e numbe r of  column s involve d i n AA ' s processin g o f  a  give n algorithm ,  th e greate r  th e numbe r  o f  error s detecte d Suc h effec t  wa s mos t  eviden t  durin g th e performanc e o f subtraction s an d additions ,  bu t  i t  coul d als o b e observe d i n divisions ;  (d )  a  detaile d analysi s o f  th e relativ e frequencie s of  eac h typ e o f  erro r  reveale d a  consisten t  patter n (excep t  i n cas e o f  subtractions) :  tabl e valu e an d algorith m error s bein g m u ch mor e fiequent  tha n an y othe r  typ e o f  error . Discussion We claim that the impairment in AA's calculation abilities ca n b e entirel y understoo d i f  hi s specifi c S T M an d L T M deficit s ar e take n int o account . BoUi  th e "row "  an d th e "colum n effect "  ca n b e understoo d a s bein g cause d b y th e sam e se t  o f  S T M deficits : (a )  a n increas e i n th e rat e o f  deca y o f  S T M trace s an d (b )  a reductio n i n S T M capacity . Bot h th e variabilit y  o f  th e degre e o f  e?q>ressio n o f  AA' s calculatio n impairmen t  (whic h i s a  fimction  o f  th e typ e o f operatio n involved )  an d th e patter n displaye d b y th e relativ e frequencies  o f  eac h ̂ rp e o f  erro r  ca n b e understoo d as bein g produce d b y th e sam e L T M deficit :  a n importan t retrograd e amnesi a mosti y affectin g th e declarativ e semanti c e}q}lici t  L T M relate d t o th e storag e o f  informatio n concernin g th e mathematica l  £act s th e patien t  normall y deal t  wit h befor e surgery . Finally ,  i t  i s  importan t  t o poin t  ou t  tha t  AA ' s lesio n affect s a  se t  o f  brai n area s whic h hav e ahead y bee n describe d (e.g. ,  I>eloch e &  Seron ,  1987 )  as  possibl e site s fo r th e grou p o f  mechanism s whic h constitut e th e cortica l netwoii c underlyin g (a )  declarativ e semanti c ê qdici t  L T M (lef t  ten^ra l  area )  an d (b )  S T M (lef t  occipita l  an d inferio r parieta l  areas) . Reference Deloche, G. & Seron, X. (Eds). (1987). Matiiematical disabilities :  A  cognitiv e neuropsychologica l  perspective . London :  Lawrenc e Erlbau m Associates . 758 

Specific Long- and Short-Term Memory Deficits Producing Dyscalculia in a Physicist: A Single Case Study Carried Out Using the Sao Paulo MAT Test

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Specific Long- and Short-Term Memory Deficits Producing Dyscalculia in a Physicist: A Single Case Study Carried Out Using the Sao Paulo MAT Test

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